


The Golden Lion

by Sugar_and_Salt



Series: Exo Fairytales~ [5]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fantasy, M/M, alternative universe, fairytale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-13
Updated: 2015-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-28 14:13:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13905729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sugar_and_Salt/pseuds/Sugar_and_Salt
Summary: It was a long, long time ago when people still lived simple lives under the protection of a kingdom. When they would still believe in the stars and fear magic. That time, a young priest was called to rid the people of a lion's spirit.





	The Golden Lion

**Author's Note:**

> Bit by bit, I'm crossposting my super old fics. There should be around 2 or 3 left...  
> That aside, fairytales are actually a lot of fun to write!  
> Love,  
> Sugar_and_Salt

It was a long, long time ago when people still lived simple lives under the protection of a kingdom.

When they would still believe in the stars and fear magic.

They still cherished their ancestor's mighty shrines and temples, even though their initial purposes were long forgotten.

At the foot of a mountain in the east was one of those monumental temples, built solidly in and around the mountain with the richest of stones and metals. The sight was impressive as it was intimidating, and people from the nearby villages knew better than to stroll around the halls and corridors without permission, for the only people allowed inside were the priests and the young temple servants.

 

One day, they requested for a high priest from the capital city that lay far away at the seaside. It took a long time but finally, a young man arrived at the temple's door, his robes modest but intricately embroidered with foreign words and patterns. He wore neither a weapon, nor did he seem overly frightening. In fact, when he pulled away his hood, the temple priests were astounded by his young-looking and exotic features.

Maybe he knew the secret to eternal youth, since a high priest could not be this young, could he?

 

He introduced himself as Minseok and wearing the kingdom's emblem as well as a friendly demeanor, he was welcomed warmly by both priests and servants alike.

"You have called for me, what kind of service can I do for you?" he kindly acquired with a patient smile on his face.

"We should first get you settled before bothering you, so please let Kyungsoo lead you to your room," the local highest priest said.

Kyungsoo was a man of equally petite stature as Minseok himself and he, too, seemed to harbor more strength than what met the eye.

He had soft hair in the color of rich soil and equally brown, big eyes. With his fair skin and full lips, he was quite a sight to behold. Minseok was instantly charmed by his heart-shaped smile as he was led to his chamber. The servant was delighted by his attention and seemed very much interested himself.

"If you ever need help in these halls, I will be honored to guide you around," he politely suggested.

"I might actually take you up on that offer."

And as Minseok unpacked his belongings, he turned around to the servant that had been waiting patiently by the door. He felt intensely watched by those brown eyes, but whenever he looked, he found that he had been mistaken.

Not minding his shyness, Minseok didn't push for more.

"So, could you possibly lead me to the high priest so I can get to solving your problem?" he asked instead.

He was very soon accompanied by the local high priest of the name Yixing, who led him to a hall high up in the temple. It was spacious and empty, with a few windows high up in the ceiling letting rays of sunlight in to sprinkle across the expanse of stone. It was a peaceful sight, really.

Except for the big cage hanging from the center of the room, hovering a few feet over the ground.

"I have heard that high priests are capable of driving away evil spirits."    
When they stood before the cage, Minseok could see a young-looking man inside. He had golden hair that was unkempt and wild, hiding his face, as well as a lithe body. He warily stared at them, not moving from his crouched down posture.

"This here, is the manifestation of a lion spirit," the high priest told him, "He has been luring people into his trap to devour their souls for ages. Also, he has been kept captive in here for years, for we know that mere humans like us cannot harm a mystic being. Still, I have become the new high priest and I wish to take care of this matter instead of keeping his presence looming above all of my young aspirants. Which brings me back to the request I sent. I have my powers, but none of them meet the needs I have regarding this."

Minseok nodded and smiled reassuringly.

"I know what to do, have faith in me. If you could, please leave me alone with the lion for a while now."

Bowing slightly, Yixing left the hall.

 

And Minseok turned his full attention to the being in the cage. He looked like an ordinary human, but he knew the deceptive nature of appearances all-too well.

Silently, they observed each other. One thing Minseok had to admit - the lion had the most beautiful pair of eyes he had ever seen. They had the color of melted chocolate; rich and warm.

The gaze was intense and imploring and so far, the lion had not made any move towards him.

He could likely sense his presence, the power he had.

"So you are a lion?" Minseok spoke softly, and the boy flinched. Other than that, though, he didn't get any reaction.

That day, Minseok sat down across the cage for long hours, just staring into those brown orbs, neither of them moving.

Minseok had been staying at the temple ever since. Every day without fail, he would go to see the lion. And still, the lion had yet to say a word.    
When he wasn't there, though, he liked to be with Kyungsoo, the lovely aspiring priest. Even though he didn't talk a lot about himself, he lost his shyness in showing his interest in Minseok. Who, in turn, continued to be charmed by the witty young man.

Still, the lion was the pressing matter at hand.

And whenever Kyungsoo would advance on him, Minseok would avoid the young man, stating that he had to fulfill his duties first. And however much Kyungsoo died to know about those duties, Minseok would not give away those confidential information.

On some days, he tried to talk to the lion but it were vain attempts, all of them.

The boy would keep sitting on the floor, and flinching back whenever Minseok came too close to the golden bars.

Even though of patient nature, Minseok got frustrated in time.

"Please listen to me," he began one day, "I need a proof. Please reveal yourself a little. You seem to be of a good nature. Let me assure you that I do not kill beings who are no threat to humans."

He boldly let his fingers slide along the cage bars, even though the lion remained with his back pressed into the opposite side.

"I can prove the truth behind my words."

Minseok rolled up the sleeve of his gown to present his pale arms.

There, directly over his pulse, was a black symbol seemingly inked into his skin.

"This is the mark of a dragon," he explained patiently, running his fingers along it.

"It is the result of a pact I made with an old dragon who wished for nothing but peace and loneliness. And this..." he continued, opening the tassels of his gown to bare his white chest where, above his heart, another marking sat with lines more flowy than those of the rough dragon symbol, "this is the mark of a phoenix I encountered. An eternal being who only wished to mingle in between humans, admiring their short-lived lives that burn so intensely. As long as they both stay true to their word of not harming any human, people in turn will not notice the mystic nature unless revealed to them. It is a mutual pact formed between us. So therefore please believe me and tell me your story."

The lion looked at the symbols in wonder and then seemed flustered at the display of otherwise flawless, pale skin.

But upon hearing his words, he only kept looking at him with his huge, brown eyes.

And ultimately, he started crying.

That day, Minseok could not fall asleep. Kyungsoo had offered to stay with him, but as always, he had kindly rejected him.

The situation was hard to read. Minseok had killed spirits before and he felt no remorse about that.

When he had encountered the phoenix, the first mythical being he had ever met, they had bonded very well.

In fact it had been the phoenix himself who had warned him.

'Entities and spirits live for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. There are many of us who cannot deal with a long life and turn into malicious beings that feel no other excitement than devouring humans. I am a being that outlives even those and I've seen it all too often. Therefore you must never keep your guard down; luring and seducing people is what they learn to do and it's a skill polished over centuries. You need to see behind it."

When they had formed a pact, the phoenix left behind the symbol. As a proof, but also as a protection charm, because he had grown fond of the good-natured priest. Ever since that day, his health had been exceptionally well and his features seemed to age slower than before.

When he was one day sent 'to kill a dragon,' he instead formed another bond. It was dangerous, but Minseok's good intentions and honest behavior got through to the wary dragon and he earned his trust. The dragon symbol over his pulse granted him great strength and wisdom.

But still, Minseok could not see the true nature of the lion spirit. Something was off about him. That night, his hazy dreams were full of the beautiful brown orbs, of cages and corridors.

The next day, he ventured to a nearby village to ask people about the lion. Even though the years of his rampage had passed long ago, the fright was still fresh in people's mind as they recalled the legends.

"I have never seen him before," a young academic called Baekhyun said, as he turned the pages of an old book to search for the phrases.

"-but I have read somewhere in this book about him. It says the lion was a malicious creature that enchanted people and devoured their bodies afterwards. It would sneak upon lonely people so no one noticed when it jumped its prey. Over the years, dozens of people had fallen victim to its claws and with every bite, his golden eyes would shine more beautifully-"

"Golden eyes, you say?" Minseok repeated in confusion.

"Why yes, the lion's appearance was said to be dominated by gold, with golden hair and eyes as well as a sun-kissed complexion."

Minseok thought about it. And then he made a decision, hastily bidding the boy goodbye as he made his way up to the temple.

Before he could reach the hall, though, he was called after by Kyungsoo.

"Where are you going to?" he asked worriedly, pulling the priest into a warm embrace.

"You don't need to worry about me, I will be fine," Minseok reassured him as he pat his hair and tried to continue on his way.

"Wait, please!" he heard the deep voice begging him. Before Minseok could try to calm him once again, the boy had boldly stepped up to kiss him on the lips.

Minseok was surprised, but the feeling of those beautiful lips was as plush and warm as he had imagined it to be, so he responded with a sigh. He could feel fingers threading through his light brown strands and a hand in his neck as he was pulled in deeper. Eagerly, Kyungsoo parted his lips to sneak out his tongue and Minseok needed to rest his hands on the slim waist to keep his balance.

The kiss was really good, but still... the image of the chocolate brown eyes did not leave the back of his mind and as the hand around his neck seemed to tighten, Minseok finally detached himself from Kyungsoo, mumbling something about his duties as he hurried down the floor, leaving Kyungsoo's protesting voice behind him.

When he stepped into the hall, the lion looked up at him as usual.

Minseok slid down onto his knees as he looked into the brown orbs. This time around, he did not say anything.

Instead, he took out a shining dagger, to which the deep eyes darted quickly, before they flew up to meet his again.

The priest held out the weapon in a manner of offering, touching the cool metal as he offered him the grip.

 

For a while, no one moved; but then the lion approached him for the first time, crawling over until he sat directly in front of him, only golden bars separating them. He could have easily reached in between them to get the weapon.

But he didn't.

Minseok did not waver as he calmly held out the dagger. When the lion finally reached out, his movements were slow and hesitant. Carefully, he lifted his fingers to reach for the priest's neck.

Still, Minseok did not dare to move even when he was worried. But when the tips of the lion’s fingers touched his exposed skin, they only lightly traced out the markings Kyungsoo had left earlier, his cold fingers cooling the red marks. Minseok sighed, observing the boy closely, whose eyes were fixated on the marks, before flitting up to meet his again.

A little hesitant, he drew back and looked at the blade once more. The lion stayed as close to him as he could when he opened his shirt to reveal his pale neck.

He closed his eyes and lifted his head, baring him his throat as an offering from his side.

Minseok looked at the lion who was trembling slightly, and properly grasped the dagger. He stood up and reached inside the cage, opening a few more tassels of the shirt.

The body kept trembling ever so slightly, but no move was made to stop him.

Minseok reached up to caress the side of his face, before covering his closed eyes carefully.

Then he tipped the blade against his skin once, before he used all his strength to stab it right into his heart. The moment the metal pierced his heart, however, an agonizing scream was heard behind him. Minseok flew around and was met with Kyungsoo, who had been holding up a sharp stone that he let go of now, as if his fingers had been burnt.

It was not actually that easy to kill a spirit, but if the soul wandered from the body, the body was left vulnerable.

And so the lion died quickly, with not so much as a choked breath. A quick and painless death as it sank to the floor of the cage.

And without a body, the soul died with it. Kyungsoo reached out for the priest, but before he could lash out at him with a golden flicker outshining the dull brown of his eyes, he lost all strength in his arms and sank to the floor.

Minseok did not need to turn to the corpse in the cage to know its eyes would be empty, but golden now.

He hurriedly sank down next to Kyungsoo and cradled his head in his lap, carefully searching for injuries. Luckily, he had only gotten some minor bruises and his head was spared.

His eyes fluttered open and Minseok was met with the warm color of melted chocolate that had haunted him in his dreams.

When their lips met in a sealing kiss, it finally felt complete.

The lion's body turned into golden ash that was dispersed into the air and finally, it was free as well.


End file.
